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The Commission announced on March 10, 2001 to prolong the fifth-time the temporary ban on certain phthalates in toys and childcare articles. The new deadline is June 5, 2001.

The European Commission first made the decision on December 7, 1999 prohibiting the placing on the market of toys and childcare articles intended to be placed in the mouth by children under three years of age, made of soft PVC containing more than 0.1% by weight of one or more of six phthalates. Products already on the market when this decision was established were not affected.

The phthalates concerned are di-iso-nonyl phthalate (DINP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), di-iso-decyl phthalate (DIDP), di-n-octyl phthalate (DNOP), and butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP).

(ITS Labtest News, Vol.54, May 2001)

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Denmark has recently adopted a Statutory Order No. 1012 to prohibit the import and marketing of products containing Lead.

The Order entered into force on December 1, 2000, imposes a total ban on lead carbonates and lead sulphates used in paint and prohibits the import and marketing of final products containing more than 100ppm (mg/kg) of lead, either in metallic form or in chemical compounds. This order, however, does not apply to:

1. Raw materials and semi-finished goods
2. Second-hand products that complied with Danish requirements when first sold
3. Products, at the time of this Order entered into force, are regulated under other legislation implementing EU Council Directives, and other legislation.
4. Products exclusively for export

Import and marketing of products containing chemical compounds of lead shall be prohibited as of March 1, 2001, except some specified products which have a longer period of grace.

However, this prohibition does not include products for repairing existing products, including repairs, rebuilding of and extensions to houses.

(ITS Labtest News, Vol.54, May 2001)

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